The Cat in the Hat
November 6th, 2026
MOVIE: THE CAT IN THE HAT
STARRING: BILL HADER, XOCHITL GOMEZ, QUINTA BRUNSON, GIANCARLO ESPOSITO
DIRECTED BY: ALESSANDRO CARLONI, ERICA RIVINOJA
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG
RUN TIME: 107 MINUTES
Animated films can be a tricky genre because they often have two audiences to satisfy: children looking for entertainment and adults who appreciate the craft behind the filmmaking. The recent success of Laika’s Wildwood proves that animation can still reach new heights. Then there is The Cat in the Hat, the newest animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ beloved book, which expands the original story beyond its slim 72 pages. Sadly, this film doesn’t offer anything you haven’t seen before. It relies on the usual childish jokes and familiar themes of family and growing up, making it both obnoxious and far too eager to have something meaningful to say. The Cat in the Hat is as entertaining as a ball of yarn: colorful and interesting at first glance, but ultimately just a boring ball of yarn.
Written and directed by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, the story begins with the title character, the Cat in the Hat (voiced by Bill Hader), wrapping up one of his latest assignments: making a bunch of kids happy. His brand of chaos includes giraffes crashing through walls and couches being driven around, all with the hope of turning children’s frowns upside down. On the happiness meter, the kids are through the roof, but on the destruction scale, the Cat has gone too far. This earns him a visit from his grumpy boss, Mr. Hoogeboom (Giancarlo Esposito), who gives him one final assignment. He must cheer up Gabby (Xochitl Gomez) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), but if he can’t make these kids happy while keeping the destruction to a minimum, he’ll be fired for good.
One of the biggest problems with this Cat in the Hat is how closely it resembles just about every other animated children’s movie released in the last five years. There are elements of Inside Out, The Grinch, The Minions, and even The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The filmmakers create an entire universe in which the Cat and other Seuss-inspired characters work to make children smile. A Yak in a Pack, a Pig in a Wig, Sherrie from HR (Quinta Brunson), and new intern Gary (Bowen Yang) all make appearances, but none of these characters adds much depth to the proceedings. Across its 107-minute runtime, the film follows the two children and the Cat as they travel from one universe to the next, all while the Cat struggles to avoid causing too much destruction and the children grapple with losing the happiness they once had before moving to a new neighborhood. The stakes never feel particularly high, and the lessons are about as standard as they come: change is hard, family is forever, and it’s important to embrace having fun. Yada yada yada.
The most interesting addition to The Cat in the Hat is the introduction of the “Things.” They look adorable, but if my cynical instincts are working correctly, their cuteness is just another way for the Seuss universe to sell stuffed dolls and turn these characters into the next Minions. The reality is that I was bored, and the comedic bits rarely landed. It was a bad sign when, halfway through the movie, my own eight-year-old was already finding the jokes lame. Hopefully, my cynicism isn’t rubbing off on him.
The Cat in the Hat simply doesn’t need another telling. It’s certainly better than the horrendous, sugar-rushed live-action version starring Mike Myers, but that’s not exactly a high bar to clear. Sadly, there’s very little to distinguish this animated adventure from the long list of movies that came before it. We’ve seen this formula in Wreck-It Ralph, Shrek, Coco, Zootopia, and countless others. Families, children, and audiences deserve something new. Something they can actually hang their hat on.
2 STARS
THE CAT IN THE HAT IS NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE.
Written by: Leo Brady
